Declan
It wasright in the driveway to Gray’s house the next morning that Declan got the phone call. He and Seb were both standing there with cups of coffee and donuts from the gas station, sprouts of grass poking up from the dirt driveway.
“Declan here,” he said, answering the second he saw Reed’s name. He resisted the urge to scream at the man that he’d discovered the truth and wasn’t buying any more of his bullshit.
Always smarter to let the other guy talk first, he knew.
Reed snorted. “Good morning. I just got off the phone with Horizon. They’re paying out the remainder of their balance and canceling our services. You’re released from your contract, Declan.”
“Okay,” Declan answered evenly. Relief washed over his body, but he kept his cool, not wanting to give his former employer even a scrap of a hint that was something was different on his end.
“I can kick your name to some of my associates,” Reed said. “If you’re staying in the area and looking for grunt work.”
Declan tightened his jaw, reminded all over again how Reed viewed him. “I’ll be fine. Have a good day, Mr. Reed.” He grunted, then closed the call. “Fucker,” he mumbled.
“Everything okay?” Seb asked, stepping around the front of the car. He stood there and blew on his coffee, a blue stocking cap pulled over his hair.
Declan looked up at Gray’s big brick house. He instinctively reached for his pack of cigarettes, then realized with a start that he hadn’t even thought about smoking the past day. With everything else going on, he must have sped through the worst of the withdrawals with adrenaline, fear, and some old-fashioned fucking.
“Everything’s good,” Declan answered, then slung his arm over Seb’s shoulder as they walked to the house. “Real good, in fact. Reed let me know the contract is terminated.”
“That’s great!” Seb perked up beside him. “It’s what we hoped would happen, right?”
“Right,” Declan answered. “I’m just trying not to feel like I’m letting him off easy. The man sold us both out, after all.” It would have been fair game for Declan to hit Reed back, but with Seb’s inspiration, he was moving on from that type of thinking.
“He tried to sell us both out,” Seb replied. “We’re a pretty unstoppable team, though.”
He smiled, glad to hear Seb say it. “You ready for this? My nephew might come across like he’s a bit much, but if you’re already used to me…”
“Yeah,” Seb said brightly. “I’m excited. Thanks for inviting me along.”
Declan pushed a hand through his hair. He was excited, too, but this romantic shit made him way more awkward than he had expected. Still, now that he was looking to make a future with Seb, there didn’t seem to be much point in putting it off.
The door to the house flew open with a bang. Standing in the doorway, Gray was still in a pair of flannel pajama pants and a worn old sweatshirt with a flaming car on the front. “You’re early!” he hollered.
“It’s ten already,” Declan hollered back as he and Seb started up the driveway. “Time to get your ass out of bed!”
He introduced Seb and Gray to one another, watching with a satisfied grin as they immediately warmed. Gray started going on about some story from the night before, explaining a cockeyed plan where he and his crew were welding together a custom frame for an old 4Runner and some river they wanted to drive across. When they rounded the corner into the kitchen, Declan finally realized why.
“Oh hey,” Raiden answered, looking up from the table. There were tools spread all over the place and torn pieces of notebook paper scattered on the floor with a few crunched beer cans. And, tying it all together, an oily hunk of metal sat in the hallway, a few towels beneath it.
“Why the hell don’t you do in this garage?” Declan asked, pointing his thumb out toward the yard.
“Fucking cold out there, man,” Raiden answered.
Seb lifted a paper from the floor, glancing down at the mechanical illustrations. He muttered to himself, then nodded with appreciation as he read it. “I like what you’re doing here.”
“Have you been working on this for a while?” Declan asked, still frowning at the mess.
“We’re coasting at the moment,” Gray answered as he jumped back to sit on the counter, then swung his legs against the cabinet as he landed. “No big jobs on the horizon, so we’re fucking around to pass the time. It’s okay, though. We got the funds to last until spring.”
“We did get a hot tub the other night, though,” Raiden said, distracted. “Want to check it out?”
“Maybe later,” Declan answered with a grunt. He looked around at the mess in the kitchen and realized Gray and Raiden were just like him at that age, likely to get so wrapped up in their schemes they didn’t bother to take care of themselves or think through the risks they were taking. “What have you got in the fridge here?” he asked, then crossed to pull it open. “You want some breakfast?” At the very least, he could make sure the guys ate.
When he looked up over his shoulder, he noticed Seb, standing a little awkwardly in the doorway. Raiden and Gray chimed out with how hungry they were, but Declan stepped across to Seb first. “Seb and I can make something,” he said, stretching his arm over Seb’s shoulder, then pulling him closer. “That right, Seb?”
Raiden and Gray both looked at each other, then simultaneously let out an exaggerated, loud set ofoohs. “My uncle’s in fucking love!” Gray hooted with a laugh.
